


Shards

by Rae325



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-01
Updated: 2014-12-18
Packaged: 2018-02-27 16:27:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2699573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rae325/pseuds/Rae325
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the curse of Shattered Sight breaks, Robin finds a battered and hurting Regina in her vault.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

When the curse breaks Regina is preparing herself to die. Snow is standing over her with a sword pointed at Regina’s heart. 

“Regina! I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Snow drops the sword next to her, looks at her hands as if they belong to a stranger. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” Regina mutters, needs to leave, cannot bear for Snow to be looking at her with kindness and worry after what’s just transpired between them. 

“You’re bleeding. I did that to you.”

“You hardly were unjustified in trying to stab me.”

“We did both get out of hand just a bit, didn’t we?” Snow’s teasing Regina knows, trying to let Regina know that they’re going to be fine, that nothing has changed. But Regina can see the old fears, the old anger in Snow’s eyes, knows this won’t be so easily forgotten. 

“I’m sorry,” Snow whispers again.

Regina looks up at the woman she helped raise and for the first time utters the words “I’m sorry Snow.”

Snow’s eyes tear up and she looks like she wants to hug Regina, is suppressing the urge. Regina rolls her eyes, but she pulls Snow to her and Regina can’t deny the comfort in knowing that this relationship isn’t completely ruined, that there’s hope to rebuild.

Emma and Charming are running in then, a flurry of motion and noise, and Regina scrambles to her feet.

“Henry?” Regina asks desperately.

“He’s fine,” Emma reassures. “Robin and Roland too.”

And then Regina is turning to leave, wants to get away from three pairs of scrutinizing eyes. As soon as Regina is out in the fresh night air, the streets filled with injured people staring at their loved ones in horror, she transports herself to her vault.

The place is trashed. Shards of glass and ceramic litter the floor. Regina scrambles over the glass to where she locked her phone away and texts Henry to tell him how much she loves him.

Regina catches her reflection in the mirror and sees her:

The Evil Queen. 

That is who she had been today. Who she is. Who she will always be.

The mirror is shattering then. A candlestick leaving Regina’s hand, a beaker, vials filled with potion after potion that lacked the power to wake Marian. 

Regina hears herself screaming and glass is flying and at least she’s contained in the vault and there’s no one here for her to hurt. She needs to be out of this dress, feels herself suffocating in it. She pulls at the ties on her velvet, pulls layer and layer of fabric from her body. Screaming and sobbing until she’s on the floor amidst the glass and pulling desperately at the strings of her corset.

“Regina!”

She must be imagining his voice, there’s no reason for him to be here, no way he still wants her after he met the Evil Queen.

He’s kneeling in front of her, strong hands on her arms, pulling her towards him. “You’re hurt.”

“I’m fine,” Regina tells him, swipes at the dried blood covering her arms from where Snow had grazed her earlier. There’s a gash in the fabric of her corset too, and Robin runs his hand over the material that has been stained red.

“Come here,” Robin says, coaxes Regina towards his chest. She can’t meet his eyes, cannot bear to see him look at her without unwavering love and trust.

“What are you doing here?”

“You didn’t find me when the spell broke. Henry and I were so worried. The only message you sent was to tell Henry you loved him. It took a lot of convincing to keep him from coming with me. I didn’t want him to see you if you were hurt terribly.”

“Thank you. And I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I didn’t mean to make you both worry.” 

Robin’s hand is on Regina’s cheek coaxing her gently to look up. 

Love.

That’s all that she can see when she stares and stares and tries to find any change in the way he’s looking at her. Regina chokes back a sob. 

“I love you Regina. That hasn’t changed. And it isn’t going to.”

Regina is smiling and crying, overcome for a minute with hope and possibility. But then she remembers everything that has happened, and she knows that if she lets herself believe it will only hurt more when it ends.

Regina stands, needs to move away from Robin, knows it is far too difficult to resist him when he’s touching her. She needs to get to Henry anyway, must get herself under control so she can go to her son. She grabs her cell phone, texts Henry that she’s ok, that she promises to find him very soon, and again that she loves him so, so much. “I need to clean myself up. Henry can’t see me like this.”

“Let me help.” Robin is looking at her longingly, desperately. 

“I tried to kill Marian.”

“So did I,” Robin whispers, and Regina sees in his eyes the same self-loathing she feels deep in her soul.

“That wasn’t you.” She reaches out to him, wants to take his pain away. Her hand cups his face, pads of her fingers running over his cheeks. “It wasn’t your fault. You were cursed. You are a good man Robin.”

Regina reminds herself that she shouldn’t be touching him like this after today. It’s for the best that he knows the truth. Because Robin is a good man, and he deserves a good woman. 

Regina pulls her hand away, and it aches to stop touching him. But then he’s grasping her wrist, settling his fingers over hers and holding her hand steady. “Today wasn’t your fault either. The only reason Marian is alive is because you ensured that she was safe before the curse fell.”

“But the woman you saw today, that’s who I am.”

“No it’s not. Yes you tried to hurt people today, but so did I, so did Friar Tuck, and that man would never harm another living soul. This is what the curse does. What it doesn’t do is show us who we truly are.”

Regina shakes her head. “For most people that’s true. But you met the Evil Queen today. That’s who I was for decades.”

“But it isn’t who you are. I love you as much as I did yesterday.”

“How? I tried to kill Marian…and Snow and Emma. You watched me try to kill your wife.”

“I still love you.”

“This isn’t just some curse, I tried to kill them all long before today.”

Robin’s smile is so full of love and hope that Regina can’t make herself look away from him. “I know who you were, and I know exactly who you are now. When I look at you, all I see is my true love.”

He leans his forehead against hers, and Regina sobs with relief, cannot hold it back, not with Robin. He nuzzles his nose against her wet cheek, presses his lips so softly to hers. She wraps her arms around him, her right arm aching with the movement, but she needs Robin closer, needs to reassure herself that he is still hers.

But he’s doing that regardless, with every touch, every kiss, she feels how much he loves her, how much he needs her. He pulls her into his body, presses her tight to him and just hold her.

But then Robin is gasping and looking at Regina with fear. His shirt that is covered in red, and he is staring at the wound on her abdomen, once again open and oozing blood.

“We need to get you to a healer!”

“I’m ok.”

“You’re bleeding.” He moves towards her urgently, but then softens as he motions to her corset and asks, “May I?”

Regina nods, and Robin’s fingers make easy work of untying the garment. Regina lets out a deep breath once she’s free of the constraints of the fabric, slumps forward against Robin’s shoulder.

“Am I hurting you?” Robin asks, his lips pressed to Regina’s cheek. She shakes her head and feels Robin pull the sticky material from her stomach. Regina holds back a wince of pain, not wanting to upset him.

Robin pulls away so that he can see her injury properly. His fingers skim over her skin. “I think we need to go to the hospital.”

Regina’s eyes up tear at the word we. 

Of course Robin notices, always notices, always sees her. “What is it?”

“You’re here.” It’s barely a whisper, but the way Robin smiles at her, Regina can’t help but smile back.

“Of course I am.”

She’s shaking her head, never truly believed that he would still be here when the curse broke.

“We’re both here Regina, but we need to make certain that you remain here so please let me take you to the hospital.”

“It’s not necessary.”

“Please just humor me.”

“I can heal it.”

“Then why haven’t you? You are the most stubborn woman I have ever met. You do know that right?”

“We’re well matched in that case,” she teases back, her hand stilling his where it glides across her abdomen. She concentrates on mending her flesh back together and with a swipe of their joined hands her wound is closed and her skin cleaned of blood.

“Your arm.”

“It isn’t deep.”

“But you’re in pain.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it matters.” Robin bends down and presses his lips to Regina’s arm. His kisses become more firm once he reaches her shoulder above the injury. He kisses across her clavicle, up her neck, stops to feels her pulse beat beneath his lips.

“Robin.” Regina’s arms wrap around his back, her bare chest pressed against him. She rest her forehead against his and breathes him in, simply wondering whether this can be real. Robin’s hands are making quick work of the pins holding Regina’s hair in place. She feels lighter as it cascades down her back, feels a weight being lifted as his fingers work through the tangles and massage her scalp. She hums against his mouth as he continues to weave his fingers through her hair and along the curve of her neck.

Regina is reluctant to leave Robin’s arms at all, but she thinks of Henry worrying, and takes a deep breath and pulls back slightly. “I need to put on clothes and wash up and then go to Henry.”

“I can help,” Robin says, his hands still clutching tightly to Regina’s waist. She thinks that he too must be desperately afraid to be out of arms reach. 

Regina leans forward and presses a soft kiss to Robin’s lips, nuzzles her nose against his. “You can come,” Regina says with a playful smile, though her heart still feels so terribly weighted down by what she had tried to do mere hours ago. “As long as you promise to help and not to keep me from getting dressed.”

Robin chuckles, but Regina can still see the pain in his expression. She may not deserve love, but Robin does and she loves him so much. She wants to soothe him, wants to give him the comfort that he gives her. She leans in to press her lips to his, kisses him deeply, fingers caressing his neck, rubbing circles on his back, touching him softly, reverently; she hopes she can show him how much she loves him. 

Robin smiles at her, curiosity in his eyes, wondering why Regina is suddenly kissing him like this when she had just insisted that she really needed to leave the vault. She needs him to know, can’t let him wonder a moment longer. It’s welling in her chest, and she can’t hold it in any longer.

“I love you.”

Robin’s face lights up in the brightest smile Regina has ever seen on his face. Her heart is still pounding furiously, but Robin is looking at her like she just made him the happiest man in the world.

“I love you too Regina. More than anything.”

It’s too much, Regina thinks, too much hope and love and happiness. But she cannot pull her eyes from Robin, is utterly transfixed by the way he is looking at her.

“You’re really here.”

“I’m really here. And I’m staying here.” Robin pulls Regina into his arms, and she can feel his smile grow wider as she nuzzles into the crook of his neck. “Let’s get you cleaned up, and then we can go get our boys and if you’d like, perhaps we can spend an evening just the four of us.”

“I’d like that very much.”


	2. Chapter 2

Regina trembles slightly in Robin’s arms as they walk to the washroom in her vault. He sits her down in front her her vanity, concerned by how still she is now, save for the shaking. Robin leaves Regina for a moment to search for a shirt for her to wear. In the back of the closet, hidden behind her pressed shirts and blazers, he finds a stack of warm sweaters, pulls out the warmest, softest one he can find, a large fuzzy cream colored thing. It makes Robin want to see the whole other wardrobe that he now suspects Regina is hiding behind the tailored suits and fitted dresses.

Regina is wiping her face when Robin returns; her lips are free of the dark red paint and she is working on removing the mascara tracks on her cheeks.

“I hope this sweater will suffice.”

“Thank you.”

Regina reaches for the sweater and Robin takes the cloth from her hand so she can slip the shirt over her head.

“May I?” Robin asks, indicating the damp cloth.

“Robin, I’m not an invalid. I can remove my own makeup.”

“I know you can. It’s just that I couldn’t do anything to protect you today.”

“Protect me?” Regina’s laugh is bitter, cold. Robin hates it, hates the way she spits the next words. “I’m that one that people needed protecting from.”

“I couldn’t keep you from a spell that made you terrified Regina. I couldn’t spare you the pain of wondering what would happen when that spell took away your ability to control your own life. And I couldn’t keep you from the fear that you would lose everyone you loved.” Regina is looking back at Robin, her eyes wide, a disbelieving expression on her face again, still, always. He will erase that expression, must somehow make her believe. “I simply want to take care of you and to show you that you need never worry again that you don’t have my love.”

“Robin.” Regina whispers his name with such amazement, such love. Robin longs to hear his name sound this way until the end of his days, wants to let her love wrap around him and heal the constant pain he’s felt since their separation.

“I never want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable,” Robin tells Regina, indicating the cloth, wondering if she feels that he doesn’t believe her capable of taking care of herself. Nothing could be further from the truth. Robin has watched Regina take care of herself, watched her refuse to let anyone help her shoulder her burden for two years. But he loves her so much, and he needs to do anything possible to make her happy, to make certain that she is never alone again.

“It’s ok.”

“Are you sure?”

“Well someone needs to take my makeup off. I look like a clown.”

“You look beautiful,” Robin says, means it, though Regina rolls her eyes at him. He crouches down to be at eye level with Regina and begins to gently wipe at the dark trails on her cheeks, eager to erase the physical reminders of her tears. 

The hand that isn’t holding the cloth goes to Regina’s hair, and for a moment Robin lets himself get lost in the feel of the silky strands, in the comfort of touching Regina. He tried to kill his wife today because of how much he loves Regina. Robin shudders at the thought, at the memory of hunting down Marian where Will had hidden her away in a cave. He had nearly succeeded at getting to her, would have if he hadn’t been distracted by one of his men trying to kill him.

“Robin, are you ok?”

He shakes his head, finishes wiping the mascara from her cheeks. Regina’s hands are on his face, tender and soft, and her expression is pure love and care. But she doesn’t push him, lets him finish wiping away her makeup in silence.

When Robin finishes Regina stands, pulling him up with her. She wraps her arms around him and just looks at him, and Robin feels that surely she can see into his mind, into his soul, knows all of him. Regina’s focus is entirely on him now Robin knows, knows she will put aside her pain to take care of him just as he will gladly do for her.

“I almost killed Marian today. I was so angry,” Robin says through gritted teeth. “I wanted to kill her for taking away my happy ending.”

Regina pulls Robin closer, tells him, “That’s what the spell does. It warps the darkest thoughts that you have, makes you unable to see that they're extreme, makes you unable to feel the love and compassion that keeps the darkness in check.”

“It isn’t Marian’s fault that Emma brought her here.”

“No Robin. This is my fault.”

“You didn’t kill Marian. She’s alive because of you.”

“But I took her away from you and Roland for years. I’m the reason your happiness with your wife ended.”

Robin sees the fear in Regina’s eyes that he will leave, sees how much she believes he should, how much she believes she deserves nothing good to come to her. 

“You were a different person then. You’ve changed. You’re making amends. And you are not the Evil Queen anymore.”

She shakes her head frantically. “What the curse made you Robin, the very worst of yourself, no conscience, no remorse: that’s who I was without a curse.”

“Perhaps there wasn’t a curse, but there was more suffering in your life than anyone should ever have to endure.”

“Most people don’t become heartless villains because their lives haven’t been easy.”

Robin presses his hand to Regina’s chest. “Your heart is right here. It is resilient and beautiful and so full of love.”

“My heart is dark and hard.”

“If that were true you wouldn’t feel so much pain at the things you did in the past, you wouldn’t have been terrified of hurting people during this curse, and most importantly you wouldn't be able to love so completely and beautifully. I just wish you could see the good in yourself. But I promise you that I see it, and I am not going to give up until you see it too.”

Regina seems to be at a loss for words, so Robin just holds her and looks into her eyes and promises himself that he will make her believe.

“I tried to live without you,” Robin tells Regina. “But I couldn’t. I can’t. I tried to kill Marian today, because I was so angry that I lost you. But that wasn’t her fault. It was mine. I made a choice, and that choice hurt you and it will hurt Marian once she awakens and I explain things to her. I have been hurting everyone for months, and today I nearly murdered Marian because I didn’t accept what was in my heart. But I can’t live with that anger anymore. I need to be true to my heart, and my heart is telling me that you are my happy ending.”

Regina sobs once, takes shaky breaths to try to steady herself.

“We survived.” Robin cups Regina’s cheek in his hand, looks at her, pleading with her to believe him. “The curse has passed, and everyone is safe. We can deal with whatever else we need to together.”

Regina presses her lips against Robin, kisses him, lips demanding, hands grasping at the fabric of his jacket. He holds her tightly, kisses her until they need to breathe, until they rest against each other, foreheads pressed together, whole bodies pressed together.

“I love you Robin.”

Those words make his heart feel that it will burst with joy. It’s not that he didn't know Regina loved him. He knew, could see it in her eyes, feel it in her touch, understand it in the way she begged him to forget her and find his happiness. No, Robin has known that Regina loves him. But that she trusts him enough to say the words, that she feels safe with him, that means the world to Robin.

Robin tips his head up, presses a light kiss to Regina’s lips, whispers against her mouth, “I love you.” He breathes her in, takes a moment to memorize everything about her here in his arms, together and so full of love for each other.

Robin finally pulls himself from Regina’s arms so that they can go to their sons.

He can hold her and kiss her all he wants later, because finally he doesn’t need to give her up ever again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: After “Shattered Sight” this obviously deviates from canon and takes a more serious look at what emotional repercussions of being turned into the worst version of oneself might have. One more chapter after this, and that will pretty much just be some Mills-Hood family fluff. Hope you enjoy.

Regina’s heart thumps with fear as she walks out of the vault and the sanctity of a space where she was alone with Robin and able to be free with her heart.  But they walk into the daylight together, arms still wrapped around each other’s waists and Robin’s thumb stroking absently against the soft material of Regina’s sweater.  It’s still frightening, but Robin’s touch feels safe and good and Regina want this so much, so she swallows back the fear and keeps holding onto Robin.

 

They barely reach the edge of the Merry Men’s camp when Henry spots them and is running to Regina.  “Mom!”

 

“Henry!” Regina runs to him, meets him with open arms and holds him close.  “Are you all right?”

 

“I’m ok.”  She pulls back to look her boy over, pushes the hair off his forehead, checks him for bruises.

 

“My brave boy.”  Regina presses her hand to his cheek.

 

Henry wraps his arms back around Regina.  “I love you Mom.”

 

“I love you too sweetheart.”  He’s clinging to her, and Regina wonders what he went through during the curse.  Even alone, being turned into the worst version of oneself is a terrible experience that no child should ever have to endure.  “It’s all over now.”

 

He burrows his cheek into Regina’s shoulder.  She remembers him doing this as a toddler when she picked him up and let him fall asleep in her arms.  “It’s okay Henry.  I’m right here, and whatever happened today, we will get through it.”  He doesn’t say anything, her baby who is so strong, who always insists on trying to comfort her, and Regina knows that he is upset.  She presses a kiss to his hair, tells him “It’s ok.”

 

“I know.” Henry pulls back to give his mother a smile.  But she knows he’s shaken, and he lets her wrap her arm around his shoulder and tuck him against her side.

 

“When you want to talk about it I’m here,” Regina whispers, knows her son is too much like her sometimes, too quick to put on a brave face and ignore the pain.  He nods against her and she tells him again, “I love you Henry.”

 

Robin is smiling at Regina when she turns around.  He looks at her and Henry together like it’s the most beautiful thing, like he thinks she is an amazing mother.

 

Robin claps Henry on the shoulder.  “I told you that your mom was just fine.”

 

“Yeah,” Henry says weakly.

 

Robin smiles kindly.  “I was pretty scared myself.  But your mom is a fighter.”

 

Regina kisses Henry’s hair again.  “Just like my little prince.”

 

Henry’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes, but he begins walking back towards the Merry Men’s camp, still tucked safely against Regina.

 

Robin reaches out his hand, and Regina clasps their hands together.  Regina tries to just relax in the moment and enjoy having the two people she loves most in the world beside her.  She never thought they could possibly love her when the spell ended, but they do.  Henry and Robin are here and they love her.

 

They reach the edge of camp, the Merry Men busy at work setting their tents back up.  Roland spies them from from where he’s helping Will start a fire.  “Papa, you found Regina!”

 

“That I did my boy.”

 

“Hi Regina!” Roland runs up her, his little hand waving at her.

 

“Hi sweetheart.”  

 

“Are you and Henry staying for dinner?”

 

Regina turns to look at Henry.  “I’m not sure.  It depends what Henry wants to do.  It’s been a very long day.”

 

“We should stay,” Henry says, dropping his arm from around her waist so he can look at her with his biggest smile.

 

Regina turns to Henry and raises a skeptical eyebrow.  “Are you just trying to play matchmaker?”

 

Robin laughs deeply and looks at Henry with a conspiratory smile.

 

“What are you two up to?” Regina asks.

 

“Operation Mongoose.” Henry is truly grinning now.

 

“Oh is the author of the book going to have dinner with us too?”

 

“Operation Mongoose is about your happy ending.  So we are having dinner with your soulmate”

 

Regina feels her cheeks color, but she smiles at Henry because he believes in her and he still wants her to be happy.  She is.

 

* * *

 

 

Robin loves watching Regina become more comfortable with his men.  She and Little John spend the first few minutes insulting each other, but once Roland settles himself on Regina’s lap, John seems to decide that if the smallest of the Merry Men approves then John does too.  The insults turn into good natured teasing, and Robin can see Regina relaxing.

 

After dinner Will shoos the other men away from the fire and decides he’s going to teach Henry and Roland how to play the guitar.  Based on the horrendous noise coming from the direction of Will’s tent, Robin thinks he owes his friend a favor.

 

Robin and Regina remain by the fire together, and despite the cold night Robin feels so warm.  Regina is leaning against his chest, his arms wrapped around her tightly.  Her head is leaning on his shoulder and he can feel her body getting loose, thinks that perhaps she is close to sleep.  Regina nuzzles against him, a soft, tired moan.  Robin presses a kiss to her forehead. 

 

“Are you doing all right?” Robin asks.  Regina has been quiet, and while he hopes she is content and enjoying the feeling of being in his arms, after the day they’ve had he worries that she’s lost in her mind, fearing the worst about herself and about them.

 

Regina readjusts herself in Robin’s arms, turning slightly so that she can look at him.  “I’m trying to believe that this is real.  I didn’t think I would have anyone left after the spell broke.”

 

Robin pulls Regina tighter against him, one hand on her back, the other reaching up to touch her cheek.  “This is real.  I love you, each and every part of you.”  Regina shakes her head, look down for a moment before manages to meet Robin’s eyes.  “Tell me Regina, do I look any different?  Tell me that you don’t still see love in my eyes.”

 

Regina’s smile is tearful as Robin rubs his thumb along her cheek.

 

“Will you make me a promise?” Robin asks, his fingers weaving into Regina’s hair.  “Will you tell me when you’re struggling to believe in our happy ending?”

 

“That shouldn’t be your burden Robin.”

 

“Just like trying to save Marian wasn't yours?  You have done so much for me and shown me so much love, even when I was hurting you Regina.”

 

“She’s your wife Robin.  I had to try to save her.  I still will, I promise.  I know I tried to kill Marian today, but please believe that I love you too much to hurt you like that when I’m not under a spell.”  She looks away from him, looks so terribly ashamed.  “I wanted to be with you so much I was willing to destroy anyone in my way.  I am so sorry.”

 

“You have me, I promise.  I chose to be with you, and that won’t change.  And of course I know you won’t hurt Marian.”  Robin runs his fingers through Regina’s hair, settles his hand on the back of her head.  “My point is that you made my burden yours because you love me.  Your fears are not a burden to me, but they are something that I wish you would share.  When you start to doubt I want you to tell me, because I will fight for your happiness.  I love you Regina, and you aren’t alone anymore.”

 

Regina reaches up to weave her fingers with Robin’s and pulls their joined hands to her mouth to kiss his fingers.  She presses her lips to each knuckle, to the palm of his hand, to his wrist, kisses the lion tattoo. Kisses all the skin she can reach before settling her head back in the crook of his neck, kissing along where she can feel his pulse, and resting her head on his shoulder.

 

They stay wrapped up in each other, pressed so close, limbs intertwined, hands touching, soothing. 

 

“What about you?”  Regina asks, tipping her head back to look into Robin’s eyes.  “How are you after today?”

 

“I’m holding up.  Being with you helps more than I think you understand.”  She smiles at him, looks so happy that she can offer him comfort.  He nuzzles against her.  “Right now having you in my arms is everything that I need.”  He doesn’t want to talk yet about how he came so close to killing Marian, to getting into that cave and finding her and Roland.  He thinks of Roland watching that, and the thought is too awful to bear.  He shakes his head, tries to shake the awful image from his mind.  

 

Regina raises one of her hands to rest on the back of Robin’s head and pulls him against her shoulder.  She holds him so tights, presses her cheek against his head.  

 

Robin has missed this so terribly.  He’s missed the way Regina touches him with such care and tenderness, and how it makes him feel so loved and protected.  She doesn’t press him to talk, just rocks him in her arms, and he feels so close to her.  He needs her to stay with him, feels like he will lose his mind now if she leaves.

 

They stay by the fire like that, quietly drawing comfort from each other until Regina spots Henry watching them.  She gives Robin’s arm a little squeeze before yelling to Henry, “Get over here!”

 

He shakes his head at her, looks a little embarrassed to have been caught.

 

“I know you’re a teenager now, but would you please humor me.”

 

Henry rolls his eyes, but he walks over and sits down next to Regina.  She has an arm around each of of her boys now and wants to hold on so tightly to this moment.  “What’s the verdict on the guitar?”

 

“It’s cool, but I think the drums would be cooler.”

 

Regina chuckles.  “It’s a good thing I have magic to sound proof your room.”  She runs her fingers through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes, just like she’s done since he was a little boy.  He still looks uneasy, and Regina leans over to press a kiss to his forehead.  “Do you want to go home sweetheart?”  

 

Regina feels Robin stiffen next to her, obviously unhappy with the thought of her leaving.  She runs her hand soothingly over his arm and squeezes him closer.

 

“Actually Roland and I want to have a sleep over.  Can he and Robin stay with us tonight?”

 

Regina raises an eyebrow at Henry.  “Subtlety is not your strong suit.”

 

“I wonder where I get that from.”

 

Regina’s chest aches with her son’s acknowledgement that he is hers; for better or worse, he is her son.  

 

“Robin, would you mind giving me a minute to talk to Henry.”

 

“Of course,” he tells her, stands with a warm smile for both Regina and her boy, and goes to find Roland.

 

“Mom seriously, I want Robin and Roland to come over.”

 

“We will get to your matchmaking in a minute.  But first, are you ok?”

 

Henry shrugs his shoulders.

 

“Talk to me Henry.  I know what the spell does.  The thoughts you had, everything you were feeling is ok.  The spell brings out everything that is scary and dark in us.  It brings out the fears and anger that you would never let yourself act on normally.  Nothing that happened today is your fault, and none of it makes you anything other than the kind, brave,  _good_  young man that you have always been.”

 

“Did you still love me during the spell?” 

 

“Oh Henry!  Of course I still loved you.”  Regina hugs him to her, aches at the realization that he’s been wondering this for hours now.  She pulls back to look him in the eye and tells him, “I have loved you every second since you were first in my arms.  There is nothing, no spell or curse, nothing, that could change that.  There is no part of my heart that doesn’t love you.”

 

Henry nods, takes this in.  “When I was sitting in your office and waiting for the spell to hit I kept wondering whether I would go back to who I was when I brought Emma here and I was convinced that you didn’t love me.”

 

Regina tries to hide the pain from showing on her face, can’t burden Henry with that.  “It’s ok,” she tells him, her palm on his cheek.  “It’s ok if there’s a part of you that’s still scared that I’m evil.  I understand.”

 

“No Mom!  Listen!  When the curse hit I didn’t ever think you didn’t love me.”

 

“You didn’t?”

 

“No.  I was scared…”

 

“What is it?”

 

“I thought you would be the Evil Queen again.”  Regina presses her hand to Henry’s cheek and smiles at his reassuringly.  “But I knew you would always love me no matter who you were.”

 

“Always honey.”

 

“I’m sorry Mom.  I know you’re good.  I was just…I don’t know the curse made me believe things that I know aren’t true.  I know you’re good Mom, and I love you.  I’m sorry I didn’t believe in you.  But I do!”

 

“Shh, I know that.  You’re allowed to have doubts too, and you can always tell me about them.”

 

“I don’t Mom!” He’s frustrated, with himself for having those thoughts, with his mom for not understanding that he believes in her completely.

 

Regina kisses Henry’s cheek and wraps her arm around his shoulder, pulling him to her side.  “The curse shows us the very worse of our fears and anger.  Everyone has those parts of themselves, but that doesn’t mean it’s who you really are.”

 

Henry looks pensive and worried, and Regina can’t bear to see him hurting.  “What is it?”

 

“I was so angry at Emma.  I wanted to get out of your office to find her and hurt her.  Not physically, but I wanted to say such awful things to her.”

 

“Things that you’ve been keeping inside for a long time?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“It might help to talk about those things with Emma or with me, whatever you are comfortable with sweetheart.”  Henry remains silent, and Regina just hold him close for a moment.  

 

Henry’s voice is tearful when he finally speaks.  “I’ll tell you tomorrow, but I just want to go home tonight and not think about it.”

 

Regina smiles at Henry, a little worried still that he doesn’t want to talk.  She promises herself that she will push him on it in the morning, won’t let him fall into the same bad habits she has.  “How about we have a camp out in the living room?  We can drink cocoa and watch movies as late as you want.” Regina suggest.  It’s been so long since they’ve done this, since Henry was small, but she thinks that he needs a bit of the comfort of feeling like a little boy again, of knowing that as much as things change, one thing that won’t is Regina’s love for him.

 

Henry smiles at that, tells Regina, “Sounds like a plan.  Let’s go get Robin and Roland.”

 

“We can save the sleepover for another night.”

 

“No way.  It’ll be fun.”

 

“Henry.”

 

“Mom.”

 

Regina chuckles.  “I know what you’re doing.  And I appreciate it, really.  But Robin will absolutely if we need a quiet night.  You are my number one priority.  That will never change.”

 

“I know.  But it’ll be fun for the four of us to have a sleepover.  I promise.  Now come on.”  He stands and leads her by the hand to where Robin and Roland are playing, the little boy squealing with laughter as his father tosses him up in the air.

 

Regina can’t hep smiling at how beautiful Robin and Roland are together.  “What do you two boys say to a slumber party at our house?”

 

Roland squeals in Robin’s arms.  “See I told you Papa.”

 

Robin wants nothing more than to spend the night with Regina, but he doesn’t ever want to intrude if Henry needs time with her.  “Are you certain?  I understand if you and Henry want to have some mother son time tonight.”

 

Henry answers before Regina can speak.  “We’re certain.”

 

Robin looks at Regina to check again, and she nods at him.

 

“In that case we would love to stay with you, wouldn’t we my boy?”

 

“Yes.  Let’s go.”  Roland wriggles in Robin’s arms, wanting to be put down.

 

Robin sets his son down gently.  “We need to pack some things before we go.”

 

“I’ll help him,” Henry volunteers.  Roland grabs Henry’s hand and they run off before their parents can object.

 

Robin wraps his arms around Regina’s waist.  “I take it that Henry is ok with us being together?”

 

Regina smiles brightly.  “He’s becoming a bigger cheerleader than Snow.”

 

“They want you to be happy.”

 

“I know.” 

 

“And you deserve to be.”  Robin kisses her softly.

 

“You make me very happy.”

 

“Good, because you make me very happy too.”  She smiles at him, and it warms the parts of Robin’s heart that feel cold and dark and so unworthy of love right now.  

 

“This is real Regina.  My heart belongs to you, and that is not going to change.”

 

Regina grabs Robin and kisses him, doesn’t let go until they’re smiling and laughing, and for the moment can think of nothing but this happiness.


	4. Chapter 4

Robin hasn't stopped touching Regina since they left his camp. Fingers intertwined as they walked to her car. His hand on her thigh as she drove them to her house. His arm wrapped around her shoulders as they walk through her front door.

Regina rubs a soothing hand on Robin's back and and leans in to press a kiss to his cheek. "You ok?" she whispers.

He turns to her with a small nod and rests his forehead against hers, nuzzling against her cheek. Regina presses her lips to Robin's softly, feels him melt against her. She tries to wrap her mind around the idea that Robin loves her and needs her as much as she does him.

The shriek of Roland's high pitched giggle and Henry's suddenly deep laughter make Regina blush and smile sheepishly. Robin's hands are on her red cheeks, and he's grinning at her with so much joy at the sight of her smile.

"Come on boys," Regina says, reluctantly leaving Robin's arms. "Let's go make hot chocolate." She can't stop smiling though. Henry is absolutely beaming at her, and Robin's palm is on the small of her back. He's watching her with that smile, won't stop touching her. She never wants him to.

"Can I help?" Roland asks, bouncing on his toes and looking at Regina with a pleading expression that is so much Robin.

"Of course you can." She picks him up and sets him on the kitchen island, just like she had done with Henry when he was little and couldn't reach the counter.

Henry sets the ingredients next to the Roland, leaves a bar of good chocolate next to the milk, cocoa, and sugar. "I bet you haven't had hot chocolate with real chocolate in it," Henry tells the younger boy.

"Regina made me hot chocolate when we were in her castle."

Regina watches Henry's face fall for an instant before he plasters on a smile. Regina pulls him to her, needs to reassure him and herself that he's really here, that the nightmare of the year apart is over. Her baby is back home with her. Her little boy who not so long ago was so small, and she had sat him on the counter like Roland is now. Henry's eyes had been wide with excitement then, and he had looked at her like she was his whole world. Regina remembers how each day with Henry had felt like being born anew, like her heart was thawing with each beautiful smile her boy gave her.

Henry leans his head on Regina's shoulder and pushes himself closer. It hurts her to see him upset like this. She presses a kiss to Henry's forehead and wraps him up in a tight hug. "I love you my little prince."

His arms are squeezing her so tightly and Henry has his face pressed into her neck. "I love you too Mom. I love you so much." She feels his body shake against her, hears him choke back a sob.

"Henry," she gasps. "Sweetie."

Robin is looking at her with such care, knows how much it hurts her that her son is crying. He reaches out and presses his palm to her cheek, mouths  _I love you_ , and then picks up Roland and whisks him out of the room so that Henry can have his privacy with Regina.

Henry sounds like he's choking on his sobs. "It's ok honey. Let it out." Regina rubs circles on his back, coaxes him to let go until hiccuping sobs wrack his body. He cries and cries against her shoulder. Cries like he had as a colicky baby and as a toddler who scraped. But Henry is a teenager now, and Regina wishes that this could be fixed with a bandaid and a kiss. But Henry is overdue for a breakdown, Regina thinks. Her poor little boy was just a normal kid in a small town a few years ago and now he is part of a family of fairy tale characters. He's survived learning his mother was the Evil Queen, being kidnapped, having his memory erased and then returned to him. His whole life has been turned upside down, and he didn't even have his mother to cling to as it happened. Regina's heart feels so heavy with guilt as she holds Henry too her murmuring in his ear how much she will always love him.

When Henry finally quiets, he looks up at Regina with a hint of embarrassment and apology in his gaze. But Regina smiles at him with tears in her own eyes and shakes her head. She wipes her thumbs across his wet cheeks and kisses his forehead. "Talk to me honey." Henry sniffles and looks at his mom with wide eyes, and something in Regina's heart feels so hopeful that he still looks at her like this, like his mommy who he trusts when things are frightening.

"Everything has been so screwed up. The last few years…"

"I'm so sorry Henry."

"I don't want you to be sorry anymore." He lets out a frustrated cry, and Regina takes his hand in hers.

"It's ok. I made mistakes and I hurt you. I understand if you're angry with me. I am never going anywhere no matter what."

"I'm not angry anymore. I'm really not. I missed you so much, and I never told you. I stopped telling you I loved you and then I didn't remember you and…I'm sorry Mommy."

He hasn't called her that in years. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You did nothing wrong sweetheart."

"I hurt you."

"No Henry. I made mistakes, and you were scared and hurt. And I am so grateful to have a chance to try to make the past up to you and be the mother that you deserve. I never want there to be a moment that you don't know how precious you are to me and that I love you with every piece of my soul."

"I know, and I love you too. You're my Mom. I know I said you weren't, but I was wrong. You're my mom and nothing is ever going to change that, not Emma and not fairy tales being real."

Regina's hands cup Henry's cheeks, wipe away the tear tracks. "Of course I'm never going to stop being your mom baby. That has not changed since the first moment I held you, and it never will."

Henry flings his arms around Regina, buries his face in her shoulder, and let her soothe him with warm hands and soft kisses to his hair. "Oh Henry. We're ok now honey. I promise."

"I got so lost."

"You're home."

"I know I am." He stays for a minute in her arms, soaks up the feeling of being safe and loved and protected.

* * *

"Are you ok Henry?" Roland asks when Henry and Regina walk into the living room with mugs of cocoa in hand.

Robin looks up apologetically, but Henry shrugs it off with a smile.

"What are we watching?" Henry asks as he hands a mug to Roland who is busy rummaging through the DVD collection.

Regina sits down between Henry and Robin, resting her hand on Henry's ankle as he stretches out on the couch and puts his feet on her lap. Robin wraps his arm around her shoulders, and the solid weight of him is comforting as he pulls her against his chest. He takes his mug of cocoa, smiling at Regina when he realizes that she's slipped a bit of Bailey's into their drinks.

"How about this one?" Roland asks, picking up a case to what Regina can already tell is a Disney movie. "The woman on the cover looks like Mulan."

Roland hands the DVD to his father who chuckles. "It would appear that it is Mulan. That's her name there, see." He points out the letters to Roland who studies the word carefully. "I hadn't realized she was famous in this realm."

"That's a good one," Regina admits.

Henry stifles a laugh as he adds, "Much better than the one about you Robin. No offense, but that one was pretty boring."

"There's a movie about me?"

"There are a bunch of them," Henry tells him eagerly. "I think the only one we have is  _Men in Tights_ though."

Regina cannot contain her laugh, throws her head back and laughs more freely than she can remember in a long time. "Next time we will have to watch that."

Robin eyes her suspiciously. "Why do I have the feeling it isn't complementary?"

Regina and Henry shoot each other a sly smile and shrug. Robin stares at the two of them, chuckling too now and fixing Regina with a look pure love.

* * *

Henry and Regina had gone upstairs and brought down a whole heap of blankets and pillows between  _Mulan_ and  _Frozen_ , and now Henry and Roland are fast asleep on the floor surrounded by a massive amount of blankets.

Regina is curled against Robin's side on the couch, a comforter spread across their laps. Robin's fingers are intertwined with Regina's and she's nuzzled against his chest. Her mind is drifting to the things she did today, to the evil that still lives inside her, when Robin kisses her forehead and smiles at her with what seems to be great determination to erase the dark thoughts from her mind.

Regina smiles back, wonders how he can understand her so well, how he always seems to know what she needs even when she can't bring herself to ask for it.

"I heard you tell Henry before that it was ok to cry and let everything out. The same is true for you, you know? The last few years certainly haven't been easy for you either."

Regina loves Robin for offering this, loves him so much for the fact that she does truly know that Robin would hold her while she fell to pieces and think no differently of her for it. But Regina has been so vulnerable already today, and she feels so overwhelmed and exhausted. "Robin…"

He shakes his head wordlessly. "I just need you to know that you never need to try to hold everything together for me. When you want a place to just let everything go, I'm here to hold you."

"I know that."

"You deserve to be loved Regina. And you are. I love you so much. You don't have to be stronger than everyone else anymore."

Regina laughs harshly, thinks of her mother and Rumplestilskin and all the times her weaknesses had been used against her.

"You're safe with me," Robin assures Regina, studying the pain in her eyes, looking desperately like he wants to take that hurt from her. "I'm not going away. Nothing is going to change this. Not some book and not Marian waking up. Nothing. You are my future."

Regina sighs deeply, had put thoughts of Marian from her mind. "But she's the mother of your son. And I'm the Evil-"

"No, you're not. You made mistakes in your past, but the woman in my arms is good and has such a beautiful heart. I am the luckiest man in all the worlds to be the one that you chose to give your heart to, and that is a gift that I promise you I do not for granted."

Regina is shaking her head at him, feels close to tears at the thought that someone could possibly see her as a gift, that Robin, Robin who is a hero and who she loves so much, could believe her to be good and worthy of loving.

Regina lets out a broken breath, halfway between a laugh and a sob. Her eyes are wide and glistening. Robin kisses her gently, tries to pour all the love her has for her into that kiss. His touch is so tender, so gentle, and she just never imagined that anyone would ever hold her like this.

Regina moves her hands move to Robin's face, cradling his cheeks like he is precious and perfect, needs him to know that to her he is. Her fingers caress his jaw, his neck, make him shiver against her. She nips softly at his lips, drags her mouth up to press a kiss to his nose before resting her forehead to his and staring at him with a smile.

Robin returns the smile, his hands on her cheeks "You deserve to be happy, and I am going to fight for your happiness." He looks so determined, so utterly convinced that Regina is good and deserving, so ready to tie his life to hers.

Regina can't hold back the laughter that bubbles up in her; she's laughing tearfully and smiling at Robin and feeling like something is finally breaking free inside of her. She laughs and hiccups, stifling the sound only when she realizes that Henry and Roland are asleep. But she still is grinning at Robin, knows that she must look a mess with tears on her cheeks and a smile that is getting larger by the second.

Robin stares at her curiously, and Regina grabs him and pulls him to her for a kiss. Kisses him and kisses him and can feel how much he loves her. He met the Evil Queen tonight. He saw the very worst of Regina. But he's here in her living room having a slumber party with their sons. He's here promising to love her and fight for her.

Maybe there is an author who believes that Regina don't deserve a happy ending. But Robin believes that she does.

Robin believes in her, just as Henry does, and Snow - damn Snow and her quarter collection.

But as Regina pulls back from Robin to see the smile on his face, she thinks that she is about to owe Snow a piggy bank full. Because there is hope blossoming in Regina's heart, even if the thought of it makes Regina so afraid.

But she focuses on Robin's grin and on her son's beautiful face as he sleeps, and despite the fear Regina finds that she can hold on to the hope. She lets it wind itself around her her heart, lets herself finally believe.


End file.
